Friday, July 5, 2013

Writers and Their Typewriters, #2

     My fascination for typewriters––their intimacy, and the famous writers who have used them in unwavering loyalty––continues to grow. To type a poem or manuscript requires a slower pace with a  typewriter. It also enhances better thinking––stimulating the brain to be mindful of what matters, resulting in fewer mistakes.
     Steve Leveen, founder of Levenger (purveyor of fine reading and writing tools), reproduced in bookend form, the typewriter of historian, David McCullough. For today's post, I've excerpted a portion of what Steve Leveen and Levenger Press Editor, Mim Harrison shared on Steve's blog Well-Read Life on December 3, 2009. It speaks for itself.


“I don’t want to go faster,” writes David McCullough. “If anything, I probably ought to go more slowly.”











































Another writer, Carl Honore, realized the value of slow when he found himself contemplating 60-second bedtime stories to read to his toddler. He caught himself in time. “The secret is balance: instead of doing everything faster, do everything at the right speed,” he advises.
David McCullough at work on his typewriter For David McCullough, that means typing “at a pretty good clip,” as he says. And then typing it again, because what he’s really doing is thinking about it some more.
He and his typewriter are, in fact, currently at work on his new book about Americans in Paris. What do you want to bet that as soon as it’s published, that slowly written book will hit the New York Times bestseller list in no time flat. 



I hope I've continued to pique your interest on typewriters with this second in a series (see Writers and Their Typewriters #1).
Do you have a typewriter? If not a typewriter, what do you do or use to achieve a slower pace for better thinking? And last, did you know you can blog with a typewriter? The technique is called "typecasting," but more on that later.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Donna,
    When picturing some old typewriters, the first thing I thought about was, "Murder She Wrote". That was the classic typewriter. I remember when the electric typewriters came out, wow how advanced! Then IBM came out with an electric typewriter that used an 'element' which was a sphere with all the letters and symbols needed to type a 'quick' note. Only problem with those typewriters, they didn't make corrections and that could take forever. But they are beautiful to look at and even more beautiful when you think about the talented writers who used them to write their stories. I wonder how many school kids would know what any of Mr. McCullough's editing marks meant! Heck, most of those kids can't read or write anyway! Enjoyed your blog. Thanks. Judy

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    1. Thanks, Judy. It's amazing what recall I have from early years of typing. Words like platen, carriage return, warning bell, margin release, and if I thought long and hard enough more would come to mind, especially if I had a typewriter to explore even with shut eyes. And I remember IBM's balls of many fonts that were interchangeable. The electric was so sophisticated compared to the heavy machines I learned on. I relish when I come across a talented/acclaimed writer who shares the spotlight with his trusted companion of metal. As always, Judy, it pleases me no end to see you listed in my comments. Many thanks.

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  2. Hi Donna, My Mother made me take typeing in high school. Why I asked..you may need it someday, again she was right. I remember our old type writer and all the noise it made. I sounded like you were getting something done. I wasn't very fast, i didn't have good hands!

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    1. Mothers have so much wisdom packed into them. I had to chuckle when I read your old typewriter made much noise––a lot of clacks, wasn't it. And yes, you got something done and watched the process the whole time and swore when you made a mistake and had to white out and sometimes your thoughts went faster than your fingers and somehow it all worked out. Whew! Fast hands. A fast draw––they do magic all the time. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. To answer your question, I do have access to a typewriter, but I don't use it to write extensively. My writing is technical so I need the mechanical advantage of word processing.

    But when I need to capture the essence of a meeting discussion, or a presentation at conference, or just composing ideas in my head, I use a fountain pen on grainy paper. Pen and paper force me to slow down, giving me time to select the most important words to write, and to write them legibly and attractively. Then, at my first opportunity, I go back to my notes to add and to edit. This process is not only enjoyable but remarkably more effective than tappping away on a laptop.

    Thank you for your insightful post.

    RB

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    1. Well, RB, I'm pleased to know you have a typewriter!!!! Don't you wonder how technical writing got done before computers? Don't you think they had a way to do it besides leaving a lot of white space for the writer to fill in with pen and ink?
      You introduce the use of fountain pens, something near and dear to me if you've been following my posts. The FP has so many similar rewards as that of a typewriter.
      Thank you for your comment. Have a cool and dry week.

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